Maria gently pulled away from Michael, forcing herself to part her lips from his. She opened her eyes, silently afraid it was all a dream. But to her great joy and astonishment, Michael was standing before her, and he was smiling! Maria could not believe he was here, standing in her bedroom, kissing her like there was no tomorrow. Uh oh, maybe he knows something I don't, she started rambling to herself. But before she could ask him about all the bad thoughts that had crept up into her overactive imagination he cut her off.
"Maria, I . I really missed you," Michael gently told her in a boyish tone.
"I missed you too Michael, but I don't really understand. Where have you been?" Maria asked him, staring at his beautiful gray eyes. She was almost didn't want to here his explanation, part of her didn't even want to see him ever again. After he had left her she wanted to curl up and die, now here he was, standing right in front of her.
"It's a really long story Maria, but I'm back now, for good," Michael said, emphasizing "for good". He wanted Maria to know that he never wanted to leave her again, he had to make her see that.
"Michael, after you left the way you did that day, well I " her voice trailed off and tears began to well up in her eyes. Just thinking about that day made her cry.
"Look, I know I screwed things up, with you, with everything that day. I came back to make it right, with us. Maria, I meant what I said that day," Michael pleaded with her. He wasn't going to give her up without a fight, not after all they had been through.
"Michael, you said a lot that day. What do you mean, you think you could hurt me?" Maria replied, knowing in her heart that isn't what Michael meant. She knew exactly what he was saying, but she needed to hear him say it. Michael quickly crossed the distance between them and took Maria into his arms, looking deep into her ice blue eyes.
"Maria, you know what I meant! I love you!" Michael softly whispered into her ear as he held her.
Maria's eyes welled over with tears. The one man in the whole universe she ever wanted, ever loved, was telling her he loved her. After that day in the UFO Center she thought she would never see him again, let alone hear those three glorious words come out of his mouth, again. Her mind went numb, she couldn't focus on anything, the room was spinning all around her. But her heart, her heart felt like it was going to burst inside her chest. She had to tell him that she loved him too, after all she had felt this way ever since she first met him. Too bad she didn't realize until it was almost too late. Maria regained her composure and gazed back up into his adoring eyes.
"I love you too, Michael!" Michael couldn't contain his excitement, he grabbed Maria and twirled her around and around. He finally had the woman he loved, he knew now that he was home.
"No more running, no more searching. If there is something to find out there, we'll do it together. I promise you, we will never be apart again!" Michael said as he gently set Maria back onto the floor.
"Together" Maria echoed. And then they kissed again, knowing that anything was possible, now that they were together.
Alex stood openmouthed, Isabel's eyes scanning his own for some kind of reaction. Slowly the shock turned into a smile.
"Isabel, I don't know what to say!" Alex managed to choke out.
Isabel felt her heart sink. He didn't know what to say, that must mean he doesn't love me back! Now what do I do? She silently sobbed to herself.
"Uh, yeah, well I just wanted to tell you how I felt, I thought I owed you that much. Anyway, I better go, I told Max at meet him at the Crashdown at six," Isabel replied, trying to sound cool and confident as to not show Alex how much she was hurting.
"Wait Isabel, its still early, you don't have to meet Max for a while yet. Anyway, I didn't think we were finished," Alex replied, his voice trailing off as he looked down at the hard ground below.
"What else do we have to talk about? I told where I was all this time, and I told you how I felt about you, what else do you want?" Isabel said, anger starting to fill her pained voice.
"Isabel, what about how I feel?" Alex cried, emotion filling his voice.
Isabel looked at Alex, confusion sweeping across her face, Could he be saying what I think he is? Isabel thought to herself, hope building up inside of her.
"Isabel, you came back after being gone for over a year. You tell me that that you love me, and then you just walk away from me? What do you think Isabel, that my heart is made of stone?" Alex exasperated, pain filling his soft voice
"Alex, I ."
"Isabel, when you left I felt like I was going to die inside. I didn't tell you because I knew you had to go and find out where you came from. But Isabel, that day you walked away from me I thought I'd never see you again. I thought I'd never hold you in my arms again, never kiss your sweet, perfect lips again. And you know what I regretted the most?" Alex cut Isabel off before he lost the nerve to pour his heart out to her.
"Alex, you know I ."
"I regretted not telling you how much I loved you, and how much I didn't want you to leave!" Alex finished
Isabel stood openmouthed as Alex began to cry. She had never seen him cry, not once. And now she watched as he poured his heart out to her, in the middle of Fraser Woods, where she had realized for the first time how great Alex was. Isabel gently stepped over to him and cradled him against her shoulder. As she did, she flashed back to the horrible nightmares she had been having. Isabel realized she was cradling Alex just like she had in her dreams. Just then Isabel came to a shocking realization. Alex is my destiny, my heart knew it the whole time!
"Alex, I love you, I want us to be together, always," Isabel gently whispered into his ear.
"Isabel, what about that whole alien kismet thing?" Alex nervously asked, regaining his composure and gazing up at her gorgeous face.
"You're my destiny Alex. Believe me, I know that for a fact!" Isabel reassured him.
"Do you know something I don't?"
"Lets just say that the heart never lies," Isabel replied, giving Alex a sly smile. Alex gently brought his lips to hers, ever so softly deepening their kiss. Isabel loved Alex's touch, it was so soft and gentle, like she was the most cherished thing in the world. She knew now that everything would be all right.
"Oh wait Alex! I have to go meet Max at the Crashdown," she said, bringing herself to pull away from their embrace.
"Mind if I go with you? I'm afraid if I let you out of my sight, this will all be a dream!" Alex smiled
"Trust me Alex, its no dream" Isabel said as she leaned in and kissed him again. She smiled to herself, the dreams were finally over! Isabel grabbed Alex's hand and led him back to the car. Alex opened the door for her and then he climbed in on the driver's side. The pulled out of the Fraser Woods parking lot, heading for the Crashdown, never letting go of one another's hand.
Max took a step back, stunned by Liz's recognition. As he removed his hand, Liz spun around to face him.
"Liz, I how did you? ." Max stumbled over his own words
"I'd know your touch anywhere, Max" Liz coolly replied
"Oh how are you Liz?" Max asked, dumbfounded.
"You show up after 18 months and ask me how I am? Smooth Max, really smooth!" Liz yelled, anger filling her voice. "When did you get back anyway?"
"This morning, Isabel and Michael are back too." Max replied in a small, uncertain voice.
"Oh great! Do you realize how long it took Alex and Maria to accept it when you left? Maria was devastated, I rocked her to sleep so many nights after Michael left. I'm telling you Max, if he breaks her heart again he won't have to worry about the Special Unit, once I'm through with him!" Liz said angrily, thinking back to the nights when she had to cradle Maria, hearing sob after sob.
"Actually Liz, the Special Unit was disbanded," Max told her, his voice more calm and assertive than before.
"Oh my god! When? How?" Liz replied, curiosity and relief flooding through her.
"It was about three months ago, but the problem is, we really don't know why. We have been trying to find out, but there is no record of it ever existing," Max replied
"Yeah I guess there wouldn't be any record," Liz said, knowing that the government covers so many things up.
"What about you Liz?" Max asked, changing the subject.
"What about me?"
"You said Maria was devastated when Michael left. How were you?" Max asked nervously.
"Oh you would just love that, wouldn't you Max!" Liz yelled, anger again filling her strained voice.
"I just meant .. I wanted to know ..if you missed me," Max managed to choke out.
"Max, after you left I learned to accept the fact that you weren't coming back. I didn't let myself miss you. That day on the cliff was the last day I let myself think about us, what we could have had, if you weren't a ," Liz stopped herself.
"Say it Liz! If I weren't an alien!" Max cried, pain and hurt filling his already raw voice.
"Fine Max! If you weren't an alien we would be together, we would have a future!" Liz replied, tears beginning to well up in her rich chocolate eyes.
"Liz! How could we have a future? If I wasn't an .. if I wouldn't be who I am, you wouldn't be alive for us to be together!" Max responded tears also welling up in his eyes as he remembered seeing Liz lying on the cold tile floor of the Crashdown the say she had been shot.
"Max, you know I am grateful to you for saving my life that day, but that is not what made me fall in love with you!" Liz cried, her voice filled with raw emotion.
Max was taken aback by the pain he heard in Liz's voice. He knew Liz had loved him, but he never knew he could cause her so much pain. But he had to ask her, he had to know if she still loved him, the way he loved her so deeply.
"You love me or you ..loved me?" Max asked, almost afraid to look at her, afraid that she would tear his heart out with the wrong answer.
"What does it matter Max? We can't be together, you are destined to be with Tess!" Liz cried, her tears coming in streams now.
"Liz you don't understand, it does matter!" Max exclaimed.
"Fine Max! Yes, yes I still love you, I've never stopped and I doubt I ever will! But nothing will change what happened. You are meant for Tess," Liz spoke softly, knowing that she would never be with her true love.
"Liz, Tess is dead."
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